Commencement - Warren Wilson College

Graduation 2024

Warren Wilson College is excited to share details for the Commencement for the Class of 2024. We look forward to your arrival on campus to celebrate with your graduates.

Here are the essentials:

The commencement ceremony will begin at 10:00 am on the Sunderland Lawn.
Please plan to arrive on campus by 9:00 am on Saturday, May 11, 2024. This will give you time to park, make your way to the event, and find a seat on the Sunderland Lawn.
Graduates should report to Kittredge by 9:15 to line up for processional.
The Honors & Awards ceremony is 4:00 pm on Friday, May 10 in the College Chapel. Parents and families are invited to attend.

Parking:

Parking is limited. Please consider carpooling to campus.
Designated parking for those with a disabled parking tag will be in the Kittredge Parking Lot (behind the theatre). If you have other accessibility issues or are in need of accommodations provided under the Americans with Disability Act, please notify Academic Affairs: academic@warren-wilson.edu.

We ask that you continue to check the this web page for updates. All arrangements are subject to change and students will be notified via campus email. We appreciate your patience as we work to plan this special celebration.

Invitations & Diploma Frames

Warren Wilson College is proud to partner with Herff Jones on commencement invitations and diploma frames. This service is provided by Herff Jones; all communications may be directed to our campus representative: Michael Green, graduation@4levelup.com

General Information

For any other information about commencement, please contact:

Juliana Caldwell, Executive Assistant to the Provost
(828) 771-2083
jcaldwell@warren-wilson.edu

Tacci Smith, Dean of Students
(828) 771-3768
tsmith@warren-wilson.edu

Dr. J. Drew Lanham will give the keynote address at Warren Wilson College’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11. Dr. Lanham is an ornithologist, naturalist, poet, writer, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and professor of wildlife at Clemson University.

Dr. Lanham studies songbird ecology and the confluences of race, place, and nature. He is a strong advocate for the Black role in conservation, and he studies how culture influences perceptions of nature and its care.

J. Drew Lanham stands by a body of water, which reflects trees behind him. He is wearing glasses and a blue button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up.

A graduate stands smiling with their tree and degree

Commencement Traditions - White Pine Seedling

The tree sapling received with each degree represents a new beginning. Just as each graduate leaves the College to go, lay down roots, and grow, the graduate is encouraged to plant this tree away from campus to represent their mark as a Warren Wilson graduate in the greater world.

Commencement Traditions - College Tartan

Warren Wilson’s tartan was designed by Sharon Fullerton Grist ’77 to honor the College’s centennial. Blue and gold are the school’s colors. The three bands of maroon represent academics, work, and community engagement; their color signifying the College’s Presbyterian heritage. Gray represents the rock upon which the campus was built and green reflects the landscape. The College’s tartan is registered officially with the Scottish Registry of Tartans.

Provost Jay Roberts leads the recessional.

Commencement Traditions - College Mace

The mace represents the authority of the college President and is carried at the head of academic processions by the Chief Marshall, typically the Provost. The Warren Wilson mace was commissioned in 1978 by college President Reuben Holden and created by Swannanoa artist Dirck Cruser. Carved of walnut, the mace bears the symbols of the College: the mountains, the valley, the river, the owl, and the spade. The distinctive curves and carving also form two W’s for “Warren Wilson.”